Method and machine for interleaving and stacking sheets of paper and similar materials



Dec. 8, 1953 Filed Dec. 15, 1950 L. J. CHAMBON METHOD AND MACHINE FOR INTERLEAVING AND STACKING SHEETS OF PAPER AND SIMILAR MATERIALS 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VENTOR LOU/S JEAN CHAMBON BY75/W ATTORNEY J. CHAMBON 2,661,946

R I D STACKING ER AND SIMILAR MATERIALS Dec. 8, 1953 F0 NTERLEAVING AN Sheets-Sheet 2 L. METHOD AND MACHINE SHEETS OE PAP Filed D80. 15, 1950 INVENTOR LOU/S JEAN CHAMBON ATTORNEY Dec. 8, 1953 J. CHAMBON 2,661,946

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR INTERLEAVING AND STACKING SHEETS OF PAPER AND SIMILAR MATERIALS Filed Dec. 15. 1950 7 Sheets-Sheet s k R: a\ N I r] n i a E i I O I N I l r :1 ll I l a I INVENTOR LOU/S JEAN CHAMBON BY lcu l- AGENTS Dec. 8, 1953 J. CHAMB ON 2,661,946 METHOD D M INE R INTERLEAVING AND STACKING 7 SH TS PAP AND SIMILAR MATERIALS Filed Dec. 15, 1950 '7 Sheets-Sheet 4 I 'IIIIIIII.

INVENTOR LOU/S JEAN CHAMBON BY M AGENTS Dec. 8, 1953 J. CHAMBON 2,661,946

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR INTERLEAVING AND STACKING SHEETS OF PAPER AND SIMILAR MATERIALS Filed Dec. 15, 1950 7 Sheets-Sheet e as i5 37 26 I IIIIIII/IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII/IIIIIIIIIIfl/II/IIIIIII/1111111110 \\\\\l i I Z J INVENTOR LOU/5 JEAN CHAMBON BY i414 1G,

AGENTS Dec. 8, 1953 J CHAMBON 2,661,946

METHOD AND MACHINE FOR INTERLEAVING AND STACKING SHEETS OF PAPER AND SIMILAR MATERIALS Filed D80. 15, 1950 7 Sheets-Sheet 7 IN VENTOR LOU/S V JEAN CHAMBON BY M G AGQNTS Patented Dec. 8, 1953 INGv AND STAGKING SHEETS AND SIMILAR ,MATEBIALS OF PAPER:

Louis Jean 'Ohambon, Paris; France, assignon to- Societe -d?Etudes dc Machines. Speciales Societe a Responsabilite Limitce, Paris-,Francej Application December 15,1950, seriarNazcmis Claims priority, application France December 15', 1949' 2 Claims.

T s invention relates to methods and machines for interleaving sheetsof paper and similar materials, and. more specifically to imp means in such machines for conveying the sheets to a receiving station on a. horizontal or approximately horizontal plane.

In known sheet-interleaving machines, the cut and folded sheets are divided in two groups respectively inserted into the recesses of each of the sets. of V-shaped teeth or serrations of a pair of interleaving rotors (such as continuouslyrotated cylinders) so disposed relatively to each other that the recesses of one set of serrations cooperate with the apices of the other to cause a mutual penetration of the sheets of both groups into one another and thus produce their desired interleaved relationship, the interleaved sheets being immediately thereafter withdrawn from the interleaving means and collected in a com tinuous sequence.

In such known devices, the actual interleaving step is performed in a horizontal plane extending through one of the two members or rotors and hence at a point where the folds of the sheets are horizontal. To restore the sheets to a posi--.- tion in which the folds are vertical and in which the interleaved stack is consequently horizontal,

the sheets are led out from the rotors through a vertical downward chute or channel. Only after this initial vertical travel, are the sheets deviated in a horizontal direction, either on a conveyer belt, or more simply by means of a bend in the chute.- y

The above-described vertical downward travel has made it necessary to support the lower-most sheet of the interleaved pack'of sheets from below. and this was madedifflcult by the arcuate ba h whi h e pa ker sh et as to oll w- The present invention provides a machine in whieh the interleaved sheets are adapted to be retained in the V-shaped recesses of the serratlons until such time as they have reached the horizontal conveyer means. According to another feature of the invention, the desired horizontal interleaved stack is compacted by'the horizontal conveyer means itself. According to a third feature, theinterleaved sheet conveying and receiving means. are so ar' ranged as to produce easily and au omati ally a subdivision of the interleaved sheets into a plua v of se a ate ack above and urther o jects. ieatures and adva ta s. f th invent on will resul i on h fensuined scripti made W' h r fere e t t e ac omnan ine drawin s whic ill stra e an xample .of embodiment of the invention and wherein: I

Fig. 1 is an outer front view of a machine according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a section on line II-II of Fig. 3;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line II I -III of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is. a section on line IVIV of Fig. .1;

i Fig. 5 is a view of one element of Fig. 4 on an enlarged scale; I

Fig. 6 shows an element of Fig. 2 on an enlar ed sca Fig. 7 shows means for dividing a pack of sheets nto groups;

Fig 8 is a plan View a d Fig. 9 shows an element of Fig. '7 on an enlarged scale.

As shown in the drawings, the sheets of paper or the like are interleaved in conventional manner by a pair of cylindrical rotors I and 3 revolving about spaced horizontal shafts 2 and 4 and each consisting of a number of spacer hubs 5 alternating on the related shaft with toothed or serrated discs 6. The toothed discs in each rotor may be in the same plane as, or axially displaced from, thetocthed discs in the other rotor (the latter arrangement being that shown in Fig. 3): in either case, the relative angular setting of the discs on the respectiveshafts should be such as to ensure the desired intermeshing of the respective serrations or teeth thereof as shown in Fig. -1 and The two groups of sheets 8 and 8, to be interleaved, preliminarily each -foldedin the term .Of a V, are disposed in the i'e- :cesses .1 0 between the teeth 1. The sides 8 of the inter-tooth recesses [0 are greater depth than one half the width of the sheets 8 and 8 so that, th iapicesof the teeth rem in n over wh n the sheets are in place in the rec e Openlng into the bottom of the recesses 10 are ducts l1 termed through the body of the toothed discs 6 and the ducts I] are extended along the fiat-sides 19 of the teeth by grooves Ma. and .H-b running as far as the every tip or apex of each tooth. in ractice, th ucts H mav c nsisto em res-termed in thes d s of a h of as hair o :sem iscs -.6a and .G-b :spaced by :an interposed spacer disc (to. :Cheducts I I deliver into .a main duct 12 adapted, in the rotation of the r.otors,..to :communicate ,alternately with a generalcollecto o mam o d o J 4 o n ting with asuGtibn device, and with-another collectoror manifold I25 .or J6 .connecting with .a blower .device. I

The ,suctionmanifolds i3 and ,14 are adjustable of the device shown in Fig.

in position so that they may be selectively located at the most favorable positions for timing the end of the suction phase and the beginning of the blowing phase.

The suction and blowing actions thus provided serve respectively to retain or repel the sheets in a manner to be later described.

Guide members I9 placed between the discs 5 of rotor 3 are provided to retain the sheets in case of failure in the suction system.

The receiver means shown in the drawings comprise a pair of worms 2| and 22 having triangular threads and a gradually decreasing pitch. These worms (which operate-similarly except for the respective directions of rotation and inclination of the threads) are disposed below the main rotor I between a pair of discs 6 thereof insuch a way that, in the vertical plane IV--IV, their pitch is the same as the pitch of the teeth I and moreover, that their valleys and ridges are aligned with the ridges and valleys, respectively, of the teeth of said discs, so as to provide, in the plane of Fig. 1, a kind of virtual worm and worm gear arrangement.

Above the worms 2I and 22 a further pair of worms 23 and 24 may be provided in which the variable decreasing pitch is the same as that in worms 23 and 24 and which are idle and serve as guides or retainer for the sheets. The screw threads of the worms 2| and 22 mesh with the threads of the overlying worms 23 and 24 respectively, with a certain amount of clearance (shown exaggerated in the drawing, Fig. 2) corresponding at least with the combined thickness of two sheets. The path of travel of the sheets beyond the worms is defined on one side by a fixed guide 25, and on the other by a small reciprocating tapper vane 25. The sheets are deposited on a table 2'! whence they are discharged by the mechanism assembly 28 to 39 to be later described.

The above-described arrangement operates as follows:

The sheets 8, 8' are inserted by any suitable means into the recesses ID as these successively reach the topmost point of each of the rotors I and 3. The sheets 3 and 8' are so folded and inserted that the apex of the angle of the fold in the sheet will accurately engage the lowermost point of the trough or recess I0 and the sides of the sheet accurately overlie the sides 9 of said recess. The sheets are thus inserted into each successive inter-tooth recess except atsuch times as it is desired to interrupt th'e interleaving operation and define a pack of a predetermined number of interleaved sheets, at which times the feed of sheets into either one of the rotors 'is' sus pended.

The sheets thus inserted are retained in place by the suction exerted through the ducts and grooves II, H11, H12, and are coveyed by the rotation of each rotor to the point of meshing engagement therebetween, so that each sheet in either rotor will successively overlap the adjacent sides of a pair of sheets carried in an adjacent pair of recesses of the other rotor. This is the '1 actual interleaving step, which occurs in the horieach recess of the rotor I and tooth of the rotor 3 reach this horizontal plane, the suction exerted through the ducts I I and I2 from the suction manifold M, in the rotor 3 is sharply cut off, and

instead, the connection is made with the blower manifold It over a small amount of angular travel of the rotor. This causes the sheet to be propelled onto the apex of the oppositely facing tooth of the rotor I, and in which connection with the related suction manifold I3 is maintained. The small ducts or grooves IIb covered by the sheets 8 previously inserted into the re cesses of the rotor l convey thereon the fold of the newly deposited sheet 3' to hold said sheet 8 in place. The sides of the sheets 8' deposited from the rotor 3 are applied upon the previously inserted sheets 8 thereon and are held by the suction exerted. through said last-mentioned sheets.

Thus, the sheets of both sets 8 and 3' are now placed on the main or primary rotor I in the final position shown at 29 and are retained in position by suction. The guides IQ interposed be tween the discs of the rotor 3 guide the sheets and prevent their dropping away in case of failure in the suction means. The sheets may thus already at this time be collected in any desired way on a plane lying at any desired angle of inclination.

In the construction described, the sheet are collected as the sheets placed on the main rotor I have substantially reached the vertical plane IVIV (i. e., as the stacks are lying in a horizontal plane). At this time the suction in rotor I is sharply cut off and replaced by the blowing effect from the blower manifold I5, which discharges the sheets on to the surface of worms 2! and 22. The sheets are thus caused to con-' tinue their straight horizontal path of travel, being placed upon the bottoms of the screw threads of the worms 2| and'retained thereon by the overlying auxiliary worms 23 and 24. Beyond the vertical plane IV-IV in which the sheets are transferred from the rotor Ito the worms 2| and 22, the screw-pitch of these worms gradually decreases While retaining a constant depth. This reduction in pitch results'in a progressive closure of the sheets carried 'on the worms 2| and 22, or in other words in a compaction of the interleaved stack of sheets, while lateral registry of the sheets is ensured by the action of the vane member 25 which pushes the sheets laterally against the fixed guide 2%." As the sheets are discharged from the worms, which terminate in a plane perpendicular to their axis, the interleaved sheets are pushed against one another on the table 2'! whence they may be fed to some further station by the means now to be 1 described (see Figs. 7, 8 and 9) Flush with the surface of the table 2'1 there is provided a conveyer belt 28 supporting the weight of the sheets and fed continuously in the direction indicated by arrow F1. The sheetsare delivered to the table 2? and the conveyer28 in the form of a series of packs separated from one another by a break obtained during the insertion of sheets into the serrations of the rotor e. g. by skipping'a serration. The packs are in turn grouped into groups successively conveyed in the transverse direction FZ-by the following mechanism: A plurality of endless chains 28 are arranged to extend above the interleaved sheets as they are discharged from the worms 2I to 2d. The chains 29 may consist of strips of rolled steel or interlinked chains passing around drums 38 and 32 rotatable on axes normalto the direction FI. 'The drums 30 are mounted on ashaft 3| driven by any suitable means to' impart an so on, repeatedly.

ent its? smiles t9 e ha n The drums azsr'e idle return drumsl Spaced along the chains 29 are projecting fingers; 3which are ad pted. lt' h g ime momentsisee F 9 t en a e. h nthe a lace t end sheetst l at een e e Pair O sroupsof pa ks delivered from the shin -1 A the fin ers 3; 12 cal e -bet n the sheets 34, they pushthe last sheet of the foremost group of"packs,"the foremost sheet of which groupih'as previously been brought against an abutment '31 by the preceding fingers 33 (Figs. '7 and 8).

After the entire group of packs has been brought adjacent the abutment 31, the motion of chains 29 and fingers 33 is arrested. A pusher member 35 then acts to drive the group of packs in the direction F2 to a position between a presser 38 and a backing surface 39 (the pusher 35 then assuming the dotted line position 35a). The pusher 35 is then restored to its initial position and the chain 29 resumes its feed, while the fingers, now engaging the initial sheet of the next group of packs, lead this group towards the abutment 31, then continue their movement, and

It will be understood that modifications may be made in the details of the specific arrangements described without exceeding the scope of the invention, as defined in the ensuing claims.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for interleaving and stacking folded sheets which comprises in combination; a

cooperating pair of intermeshing toothed interleaving rotors adapted to have folded sheets inserted into each inter-tooth recess at the respective tops thereof to interleave said sheets as they are brought into an interleaving zone defined by the area of intermeshing of said rotors, ducts in each rotor opening into each of said recesses, means associated with each of said rotors for selectively applying suction to the ducts of the related rotor during communication with said ducts, means associated with each rotor for selectively applying air-pressure to the ducts of the related rotor during communication with said ducts, said suction applying means associated with one of said rotors communicating with the ducts of said one rotor during the travel of the related inter-tooth recesses from the top location, at which the folded sheets are inserted in said recesses, to said interleaving zone, said airpressure applying means associated with said one rotor communicating with the ducts of said one rotor only when the related recesses are at the end of said interleaving zone, said suction applying means associated with the other of said rotors communicating with the ducts of said other rotor during the travel of the related recesses from the top location, at which the folded sheets are inserted in said recesses, to the bottom of said other rotor, and said air-pressure applying means associated with said other rotor communicating with the ducts of said other rotor only when the related recesses reach said bottom of the other rotor so that the folded sheets inserted in the recesses of said one rotor are held on the latter to said interleaving zone and are interleaved with the folded sheets held on said other rotor and transferred to the latter at said interleaving zone and so that the interleaved folded sheets are carried by said other rotor from said interleaving zone to said bottom of the other rotor for discharge there under the influence of air pressure then applied through said ducts of the other $9 .19;. an means a: te sr ns said in e le d heets essentia y way. no th b tq s other rotor over a generally horizontal path.

2- Apparatus as in claim 1 which further comprises guide means along'the periphery of said other rotor from said bottom of the other rotor to said receiving zone to prevent said sheets from falling away'in'case of failure in'said suction applying means associated with said other rotor.

- Apparatus asin claim 2 wherein saiddu'cts in each rotor comprise substantially radial ducts tnrcush said rater cronies at the base of Said teeth, grooves extending from said ducts along the sides, and to the apex, of said teeth, and wherein said suction and air-pressure applying means associated with each of said rotors respectively include a suction manifold and an airpressure manifold arranged to communicate with said ducts of the related rotor during preselected intervals in the rotation of the rotor.

4. Apparatus as in claim 3 wherein each rotor comprises toothed discs and spacer hubs fixed in alternating relation on a shaft, each disc consisting of a pair of grooved flanges providing a ducted disc, a circumferential set of main ducts, one for the aligned teeth of all said discs formed axially through all said discs and hubs, the radial ducts of said aligned corresponding teeth in all the discs communicating with a related one of said main ducts, and said main ducts adapted, in the rotation of said rotor, to communicate alternately and at timed intervals with said manifolds.

5. Apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the means for the teeth thereof, adapted to receive the interleaved sheets from said rotor into the thread recesses thereof and to convey them tangentially from said rotor over a generally horizontal path, and means positively driving said worm means in synchronism with said rotor.

6. Apparatus as in claim 5 wherein the screwpitoh of said worm means gradually decreases beyond said virtual meshing area in the direction in which the sheets are conveyed, for horizontally compacting the interleaved sheets as they are so conveyed.

7. Apparatus as in claim 6 further comprising auxiliary worm means overlying and loosely meshing with said first worm means and identical in pitch therewith to cooperate with said first worm means to retain the interleaved sheets on the latter during the horizontal conveying operation.

8. Apparatus as in claim 7 which further comprises an aligning stop associated with the discharge end of said conveyer worm on one side thereof, and a reciprocating aligning member on the other side thereof adapted to align said interleaved compacted sheets against said stop during the conveying and compacting operation.

9. In apparatus as in claim 7, endless belt means overlying said conveyer in vertically spaced relation thereto and fed parallel thereto, and fingers spaced along said endless chain and adapted to project therefrom towards said conveyer, and a fixed vertical backing surface upstanding from the outer end of said conveyer, said fingers being adapted to press a predetermined number of said sheets as discharged from said worm means against said backing surface preparatory to said number of sheets being pushed off said conveyor into said pressing zone by said pusher member.

10. Apparatus according to claim 5; further comprising continuously-fed, endless conveyer means aligned with the discharge end of said 7 worm means to receive the compacted and inter- References Cited in the file of this patent leaved folded sheets therefrom, a pusher member UNITED STATES PATENTS reciprocable horizontally in a direction transverse to said horizontal path for pushing a pre- Number Name Date determined number of interleaved sheets off said 5 134835 Brown et a1 1920 conveyor means into a pressing zone, and a co- 1'358665 wfmnerblad 1920 operating vertical backing surface and presser g g Wmter 1921 member reciprocable horizontally in a direction g Bmunstem July 1924 parallel to said horizontal path to press the pre- 2 Brawn 1944 determined number of interleaved sheets deliv- 1o FOREIGN PATENTS ered to said pressing zone. Number Country I Date LOUIS JEAN CHAMBON. 154,030 Austria Aug. 10, 1938 

